Marketing materials for alternative asset managers
In today’s crowded market, precise written communications are essential for alternative asset managers seeking to differentiate their investment expertise, build a reputation and raise capital. Here are seven ways to help you present your fund clearly and precisely through your marketing materials.
(1) Describe your fund in straightforward ways
If a potential investor does not understand your investment strategy and process they are not going to buy it. Even very complex “black box” style hedge fund strategies can be explained simply and directly.
Set out what you are doing through your marketing materials in a straightforward way. Communicate without jargon and explain the key areas in layman terms to broaden your appeal to a wide range of investors.
(2) Start your pitchbook presentation with a strong executive summary
This is the first page people are going to read so make sure it grabs their attention. Focus on what makes your investment strategy different through your core sales messages.
Make sure you cover all of the key issues today’s investors look for including correlation, liquidity and your team’s expertise as well as the investment opportunity you have identified. Introduce each section in a way that draws people into the rest of your presentation.
(3) Define your investment edge
Be proud of what makes your fund different and make sure you get that across in your marketing materials. What is your particular investment strategy and how do you express your investment views?
Are you using proprietary trading technology? Do you have good access to products and information? What is your specialist market experience and knowledge.
Give investors clear reasons for why your fund represents a good investment opportunity. They like to understand why you think your strategy is going to do well as well as what makes you different from the herd.
(4) Consider the needs of your target investors
Cover all the key areas of information for your target investors and make sure you address all their needs and concerns. Describe the framework you have in place for managing investment risks.
How long will investors have to wait when they ask for their money back? Do any of the partners have their own capital invested in the strategy? Are the returns truly uncorrelated to traditional asset classes?
How can you show you have a robust business infrastructure? Address all operational sources of risk including back-office functions and the quality of service providers, such as prime brokers.
(5) Use case studies
Describe past trades to bring your investment process to life and help investors understand the overall strategy. Show examples of ideas that worked as well as those that were not successful and explain why.
You can use these case studies to demonstrate that your investment process is robust and repeatable. They can also show that you understand what is driving the fund’s performance and how changing market conditions can affect returns.
(6) Write focused biographies for key investment people
Information about your investment team is important to potential investors. Show how their experience and expertise is relevant to the particular strategy of your fund rather than simply listing past positions.
Has the team worked together before and for how long? How do their skills complement each others. What is the size of your team including all support staff?
(7) Write relevant investment updates
Monthly investment updates are useful sales tools, providing a good opportunity to demonstrate your investment expertise. Explain what themes are driving the regions and markets that you are investing in and how you believe these trends are likely to develop.
For more complex strategies, appearing logical, coherent and transparent can be more difficult. The challenge is to explain your investment views clearly and then explain how you are taking advantage of the opportunities available in the markets.
Providing investors with clear and concise information and communicating regularly are the prerequisites of a professional relationship. By creating a suite of marketing materials with focused content you will be able to deliver a consistent message about your investment expertise. The results will be communications success as you maintain an intelligent conversation with investors.